1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a separator for a wet vacuum device. The separator comprises a bottom and a side wall in which slots separated from one another by stays are provided. An air/gas stream, containing dirt/dust particles and/or water droplets, flows near the bottom through the slots into the separator. In the separator, the dirt/dust particles and the water droplets are separated by centrifugal action from the air/gas stream and are thrown or expelled outwardly through the slots at a spacing from the bottom.
The invention relates also to a method for separating dirt/dust particles and/or water droplets from an air/gas stream in connection with the above described separator, wherein the air/gas stream, containing dirt/dust particles and/or water droplets, is sucked in and guided through a liquid bath, in which a first separation of the dirt/dust particles occurs, and subsequently guided into the separator.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wet vacuum devices are known which have a rotatably driven separator. It has a cylindrical or conical mantle surface (peripheral surface) in which slots are distributed about the circumference. The separator is positioned above a liquid bath through which the air containing dirt/dust particles is guided. The dirt/dust particles are retained within the liquid. After having passed through the liquid bath, the air is sucked in by the separator and reaches the interior of the separator through the slots. Dirt/dust particles as well as very fine water droplets still contained within the air flow combine within the separator so that the dirt/dust particles become wet or moist. These particles are then expelled by centrifugal force out of the separator. The separator has 40 to 110 vertical slots distributed about its circumference. The slot depth is 2 to 3 times the width of the slots. The slots are designed to be so small that as few as few possible of the dirt/dust particles and/or liquid droplets will reach the separator. Because of the narrow configuration of the slots, the slots become plugged in their outlet area by the moist dirt/dust particles which are expelled from the separator so that the cleaning effect is impaired. At the same time, this configuration of the separator also reduces the splash guard effect for splash water. As a result of the narrow slots, the air velocity is increased when the air flow passes through the slots; this decreases the separator effect.